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بعد حلول الظلام
تنتهي حفلة الخطوبة بموت مفجع ومفاجئ لنكتشف أن جميع الضيوف يخفون أسرارًا رهيبة.
احذر من الأصدقاء الذين يخفون الأسرار.
تعيش بطلتنا ماريسا بارلوت هذا الكابوس بعد أن تم خطبتها للتو. من المفترض أن تحتفل بزفافها القريب لكنها لا تستطيع نسيان مظهر جثة صديقتها على الشاطئ. هل سقطت؟ هل دفعها أحدهم؟ أو قامت هي بالإنتحار بنفسها؟تحاول ماريسا يائسة البحث عن إجابات بأحداث الحفل. لكنها تكتشف أن ما حدث بعد حلول الظلام يحمل في طياته تفاصيل شريرة. الاقتناص المريع والمقابلات السريّة والمغازلة أثناء الثمالة. وكلما تحرّت البحث، كلما شكّت بكل شيء ظنّت أنها تعرفه عن أصدقائها وخطيبها الذي تثق به وحتى نفسها.
احذر من الأصدقاء الذين يخفون الأسرار.
تعيش بطلتنا ماريسا بارلوت هذا الكابوس بعد أن تم خطبتها للتو. من المفترض أن تحتفل بزفافها القريب لكنها لا تستطيع نسيان مظهر جثة صديقتها على الشاطئ. هل سقطت؟ هل دفعها أحدهم؟ أو قامت هي بالإنتحار بنفسها؟تحاول ماريسا يائسة البحث عن إجابات بأحداث الحفل. لكنها تكتشف أن ما حدث بعد حلول الظلام يحمل في طياته تفاصيل شريرة. الاقتناص المريع والمقابلات السريّة والمغازلة أثناء الثمالة. وكلما تحرّت البحث، كلما شكّت بكل شيء ظنّت أنها تعرفه عن أصدقائها وخطيبها الذي تثق به وحتى نفسها.
392 pages, Kindle Edition
First published August 7, 2018
2408 people are currently reading
10625 people want to read
About the author
A.J. Banner
8 books1,077 followersA. J. Banner is the USA Today, Publishers Weekly, and #1 Kindle bestselling author of six novels of psychological suspense. She grew up reading Agatha Christie, Daphne du Maurier, and other masters of love and mystery. She always dreamed of writing gripping stories in which nothing is what it seems. She's hard at work on her next novel in her home office overlooking a Pacific Northwest forest.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 839 reviews
July 8, 2018
After Nightfall is a decent mystery with a solid twist.
When Marissa and Nathan throw an engagement dinner party, things don’t go as planned. Lauren, Marissa’s former childhood best friend, continuously flirts with Nathan, even though her husband Jensen is present. Making things worse, upon accepting Nathan’s proposal, Nathan’s 9-year-old daughter is visibly upset, as is his sister-in-law, Hedra.
When Lauren abruptly leaves the party, she tells Marissa she needs to speak with her about Nathan. Marissa, not too happy with Lauren, tells her they can talk the next day which turns out to be too late because Lauren winds up dead. Numerous characters come under suspicion for Lauren's murder, and Marissa needs to solve what happened to her former friend before she meets a similar fate.
The best thing about After Nightfall is the author’s ability to cast doubt on all of the characters. I was questioning everyone in this book, including the narrator. I also thought A.J. Banner did an amazing job of bringing the setting to life. I didn’t guess the murderer until close to the end, which was enjoyable (even though now that I think about there were some pretty obvious clues). There are some twists, but they are not too over-the-top.
On the other hand, I thought the dialogue to be choppy and rushed, which was distracting. I found Marissa’s character to be irksome. She was quite wishy-washy, which was fine, but I couldn’t wrap my head around her reactions to some of the events that occur.
Overall, this is a fast-paced, quick and easy read. I was able to read it over the course of a rainy day, and it served as the perfect distraction to the weather! I wasn’t wowed, but I was entertained!
When Marissa and Nathan throw an engagement dinner party, things don’t go as planned. Lauren, Marissa’s former childhood best friend, continuously flirts with Nathan, even though her husband Jensen is present. Making things worse, upon accepting Nathan’s proposal, Nathan’s 9-year-old daughter is visibly upset, as is his sister-in-law, Hedra.
When Lauren abruptly leaves the party, she tells Marissa she needs to speak with her about Nathan. Marissa, not too happy with Lauren, tells her they can talk the next day which turns out to be too late because Lauren winds up dead. Numerous characters come under suspicion for Lauren's murder, and Marissa needs to solve what happened to her former friend before she meets a similar fate.
The best thing about After Nightfall is the author’s ability to cast doubt on all of the characters. I was questioning everyone in this book, including the narrator. I also thought A.J. Banner did an amazing job of bringing the setting to life. I didn’t guess the murderer until close to the end, which was enjoyable (even though now that I think about there were some pretty obvious clues). There are some twists, but they are not too over-the-top.
On the other hand, I thought the dialogue to be choppy and rushed, which was distracting. I found Marissa’s character to be irksome. She was quite wishy-washy, which was fine, but I couldn’t wrap my head around her reactions to some of the events that occur.
Overall, this is a fast-paced, quick and easy read. I was able to read it over the course of a rainy day, and it served as the perfect distraction to the weather! I wasn’t wowed, but I was entertained!
July 2, 2018
4.5 Stars
Marissa Parlette appears to have it all in the beginning of this book. She is happy, has a good job and is in love. She and her fiancé, Nathan are hosting a dinner party to celebrate their engagement. Among the guest are Marissa's childhood best friend, Lauren and her husband, Jensen. Lauren betrayed Marissa years ago in college and recently has been attempting to reconcile with Marissa and rekindle their friendship. But if she wants to rekindle their relationship, they why is she so openly flirting with Marissa's finance Nathan in front of Marissa and her own husband, Jensen? Plus, Nathan's brother, Keith and his wife, Helga are also in attendance as is Anna, Nathan's daughter from his first marriage.
The dinner should be a happy one but is uncomfortable due to Lauren's flirting, Anna's non-stop texting and the tension and tears from Helga. When Lauren must leave to pick up her teenage daughter. Marissa walks Lauren out and Lauren informs her she has something to tell her about Nathan but is very cryptic and leaves. Geezz thanks for that! The party comes to a halt and everyone calls it a night. Or do they? Marissa took a sleeping pill but woke to see Nathan leave in the middle of the night. Where did he go and who sent him a text message?
The next morning, Marissa decides to clear her head and goes down to the beach where she finds Lauren's body. Did she jump from the cliffs above? Was she pushed? Was she drunk and walked too closely to the edge? Devastated, she calls the police and thus begins the investigation. Tensions are high are the characters are all uneasy.
Marissa soon learns that several characters in this book have been keeping secrets and some have been lying to her. As the learns that truths about those in her life the reader also learns the truth about Lauren's heartbreaking betrayal and the reason for their friendship coming to a screeching halt.
I read this book in one day and gave it the star rating I did because I could not put this book down! I had to keep reading to find out the truth. I wanted to know which characters were telling the truth and the ones who were so obviously keeping secrets - I wanted to know why. I loved how most of the people in this book could be suspects- a lot of characters in this book had a reason to dislike Lauren. I found this book to be pure enjoyment and it was fun to try and figure out whodunit.
There is a twist at the end and some may find the twist to be shocking while others may not. I wasn't necessarily wowed by it but I wasn't let down by it either. It did not have the HOLY CRAP! I- didn't-see-that-coming factor that a lot of books have, but I found that it worked and brought things to a conclusion.
This book is perfect for summer reading! It doesn't require much thought and the pace is fast. I lost track of time while reading this as I was so absorbed in the story. This book was a nice blend of women's fiction and mystery.
Thank you to Lake Union Publishing and NetGalley who provided me with a copy of this book in exchange or an honest review.
Read more of my reviews at www.openbookpost.com
Marissa Parlette appears to have it all in the beginning of this book. She is happy, has a good job and is in love. She and her fiancé, Nathan are hosting a dinner party to celebrate their engagement. Among the guest are Marissa's childhood best friend, Lauren and her husband, Jensen. Lauren betrayed Marissa years ago in college and recently has been attempting to reconcile with Marissa and rekindle their friendship. But if she wants to rekindle their relationship, they why is she so openly flirting with Marissa's finance Nathan in front of Marissa and her own husband, Jensen? Plus, Nathan's brother, Keith and his wife, Helga are also in attendance as is Anna, Nathan's daughter from his first marriage.
The dinner should be a happy one but is uncomfortable due to Lauren's flirting, Anna's non-stop texting and the tension and tears from Helga. When Lauren must leave to pick up her teenage daughter. Marissa walks Lauren out and Lauren informs her she has something to tell her about Nathan but is very cryptic and leaves. Geezz thanks for that! The party comes to a halt and everyone calls it a night. Or do they? Marissa took a sleeping pill but woke to see Nathan leave in the middle of the night. Where did he go and who sent him a text message?
The next morning, Marissa decides to clear her head and goes down to the beach where she finds Lauren's body. Did she jump from the cliffs above? Was she pushed? Was she drunk and walked too closely to the edge? Devastated, she calls the police and thus begins the investigation. Tensions are high are the characters are all uneasy.
Marissa soon learns that several characters in this book have been keeping secrets and some have been lying to her. As the learns that truths about those in her life the reader also learns the truth about Lauren's heartbreaking betrayal and the reason for their friendship coming to a screeching halt.
I read this book in one day and gave it the star rating I did because I could not put this book down! I had to keep reading to find out the truth. I wanted to know which characters were telling the truth and the ones who were so obviously keeping secrets - I wanted to know why. I loved how most of the people in this book could be suspects- a lot of characters in this book had a reason to dislike Lauren. I found this book to be pure enjoyment and it was fun to try and figure out whodunit.
There is a twist at the end and some may find the twist to be shocking while others may not. I wasn't necessarily wowed by it but I wasn't let down by it either. It did not have the HOLY CRAP! I- didn't-see-that-coming factor that a lot of books have, but I found that it worked and brought things to a conclusion.
This book is perfect for summer reading! It doesn't require much thought and the pace is fast. I lost track of time while reading this as I was so absorbed in the story. This book was a nice blend of women's fiction and mystery.
Thank you to Lake Union Publishing and NetGalley who provided me with a copy of this book in exchange or an honest review.
Read more of my reviews at www.openbookpost.com
August 16, 2018
4 Suspense Filled, Trust No One Stars for After Nightfall
Lauren and Marissa were childhood friends who have been estranged since a falling out in college. They are tenuously trying to rekindle their friendship, years later, when circumstances bring Lauren and her husband back into Marissa's life as her fiancé Nathan's neighbors. On the night of Marissa and Nathan's engagement party Lauren winds up dead. Did she jump? Did she slip? Was she pushed?
This was a suspenseful psychological thriller packed full of secrets. Banner did an amazing job of layering the clues, building on the tension between characters and just messing with my head. I literally doubted everyone and trusted no one while reading this book! I changed my mind about "whodunnit" so many times. There were numerous plausible suspects, all with their own secrets. The story was undeniably engrossing and kept me swiftly turning the pages. I simply had to know who did it!
As for the actual mystery - it was a twist that left me blinking at the page, trying to gather my thoughts for a moment. Not because it was an "out of left field" twist. It was more of an "Ah, yes! Why didn't I see that coming?" twist.
This was an entertaining summer read that kept me guessing right to the end!
Thank you to A.J. Banner, Lake Union Publishing and NetGalley for providing me with an advance copy for an honest review.
Lauren and Marissa were childhood friends who have been estranged since a falling out in college. They are tenuously trying to rekindle their friendship, years later, when circumstances bring Lauren and her husband back into Marissa's life as her fiancé Nathan's neighbors. On the night of Marissa and Nathan's engagement party Lauren winds up dead. Did she jump? Did she slip? Was she pushed?
This was a suspenseful psychological thriller packed full of secrets. Banner did an amazing job of layering the clues, building on the tension between characters and just messing with my head. I literally doubted everyone and trusted no one while reading this book! I changed my mind about "whodunnit" so many times. There were numerous plausible suspects, all with their own secrets. The story was undeniably engrossing and kept me swiftly turning the pages. I simply had to know who did it!
As for the actual mystery - it was a twist that left me blinking at the page, trying to gather my thoughts for a moment. Not because it was an "out of left field" twist. It was more of an "Ah, yes! Why didn't I see that coming?" twist.
This was an entertaining summer read that kept me guessing right to the end!
Thank you to A.J. Banner, Lake Union Publishing and NetGalley for providing me with an advance copy for an honest review.
July 1, 2018
Secrets, secrets are no fun…
How well do we know those we consider closest to us? Our friends, our partner, our family… Do we really know their secrets? Can we tell if they are keeping something from us, or does our love for them blind us to the lies? Would we know if we were betrayed? Would we survive it?
This is my first book by A. J. Banner and I really love the way she writes! Her characters are very rich and developed. They feel like people you would know. The story feels like one that could happen down the road from you or to a friend of a friend. The authenticity of her writing is such a refreshing break from the over-the-top thrillers I tend to read (and enjoy). This one grips you in an entirely different way. You want to get to the end because you care about the characters and you want everything to be ok.
About the Book
On the day of Marissa Parlette’s engagement announcement she schedules an intimate dinner party at home with just close friends. But are they close friends? Her best friend Lauren is flirting with her fiancé in front of her. Her future sister-in-law is clearly hiding something. And her future step-daughter Anna seems less than enthused, even though her fiancé Nathan promised he’d break the news in advance.
As the party winds to a close, Marissa can’t help but feel unsettled. Why is Lauren, who is there with her own husband, flirting with her fiance? And what is this news that Lauren says she needs to tell her in the morning, something about her own marriage and about Marissa and Nathan? Has Marissa truly forgiven Lauren for her betrayal all of those years ago?
And then the unthinkable happens—Marissa wakes up to take her morning walk, and discovers Lauren dead on the beach. Did Lauren fall? Did she jump? Or is it possible she was pushed? Marissa needs to find the answers, to get the closure she has never had. But how can she get closure when the very person with all of the answers is dead?
Everything Marissa thought she knew about her friends, her fiancé, and her loved ones is thrown into question, and she is desperate for answers. The only problem is, what if the answers reveal secrets she wished she’d never uncovered?
Reflection
This is a wonderful, suspenseful women’s fiction book. I’ve grown to love Lake Union Publishing because they have some truly outstanding books that speak to women’s fiction fans in such an authentic way. The setting for this one is the rainy Pacific Northwest, a place where I’ve lived, and I love that setting. The chilly air, the wooded surroundings, the rocky cliffs, and the icy waters of the coast are so vivid and set an unsettling tone where dangers lurk. It was the perfect atmosphere for this story!
I really like Marissa, and she reacted as many of us would. We’ve all been there, wanting to forgive someone but not sure if we have truly let it go. Wanting to trust someone but doubting ourselves because of our naivety in the past. Marissa goes through all of this. And yet, Marissa still loves these people. At the same time, how can she not question the drunken flirtations, the late night disappearances, and the explanations that don’t quite make sense?
This was a vacation read for me and I couldn’t put it down! I will definitely be reading more A. J. Banner!
Thank you to Lake Union Publishing, A. J. Banner, and NetGalley for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
How well do we know those we consider closest to us? Our friends, our partner, our family… Do we really know their secrets? Can we tell if they are keeping something from us, or does our love for them blind us to the lies? Would we know if we were betrayed? Would we survive it?
This is my first book by A. J. Banner and I really love the way she writes! Her characters are very rich and developed. They feel like people you would know. The story feels like one that could happen down the road from you or to a friend of a friend. The authenticity of her writing is such a refreshing break from the over-the-top thrillers I tend to read (and enjoy). This one grips you in an entirely different way. You want to get to the end because you care about the characters and you want everything to be ok.
About the Book
On the day of Marissa Parlette’s engagement announcement she schedules an intimate dinner party at home with just close friends. But are they close friends? Her best friend Lauren is flirting with her fiancé in front of her. Her future sister-in-law is clearly hiding something. And her future step-daughter Anna seems less than enthused, even though her fiancé Nathan promised he’d break the news in advance.
As the party winds to a close, Marissa can’t help but feel unsettled. Why is Lauren, who is there with her own husband, flirting with her fiance? And what is this news that Lauren says she needs to tell her in the morning, something about her own marriage and about Marissa and Nathan? Has Marissa truly forgiven Lauren for her betrayal all of those years ago?
And then the unthinkable happens—Marissa wakes up to take her morning walk, and discovers Lauren dead on the beach. Did Lauren fall? Did she jump? Or is it possible she was pushed? Marissa needs to find the answers, to get the closure she has never had. But how can she get closure when the very person with all of the answers is dead?
Everything Marissa thought she knew about her friends, her fiancé, and her loved ones is thrown into question, and she is desperate for answers. The only problem is, what if the answers reveal secrets she wished she’d never uncovered?
Reflection
This is a wonderful, suspenseful women’s fiction book. I’ve grown to love Lake Union Publishing because they have some truly outstanding books that speak to women’s fiction fans in such an authentic way. The setting for this one is the rainy Pacific Northwest, a place where I’ve lived, and I love that setting. The chilly air, the wooded surroundings, the rocky cliffs, and the icy waters of the coast are so vivid and set an unsettling tone where dangers lurk. It was the perfect atmosphere for this story!
I really like Marissa, and she reacted as many of us would. We’ve all been there, wanting to forgive someone but not sure if we have truly let it go. Wanting to trust someone but doubting ourselves because of our naivety in the past. Marissa goes through all of this. And yet, Marissa still loves these people. At the same time, how can she not question the drunken flirtations, the late night disappearances, and the explanations that don’t quite make sense?
This was a vacation read for me and I couldn’t put it down! I will definitely be reading more A. J. Banner!
Thank you to Lake Union Publishing, A. J. Banner, and NetGalley for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
October 2, 2018
A rapid-paced thriller that had some moments, but overall it was just an ok read for me. I think I prefer my thrillers just a bit darker. (Just a tiny bit🙈)
What should have been an exciting dinner party to announce Marissa's engagement, turns sour with everyone selfishly caught up in their own issues and agendas.
The following morning, a member of the dinner party is found dead. Can the police find the killer before they strike again? Who would have the motive to commit murder?
This book just fell short for me. I would catch myself chuckling as the lead characters always managed to conveniently find the clues, then directing the police to them…every-time! 🙄
Occasionally I can go along with that ride. But this was just was a bit too much over-the-top for me.
There are some great reviews out there for this book, so if you’re looking for a quick, light thriller then give this one a try!
A buddy read with Susanne!🌸
Thank you to NetGalley, Lake Union Publishing and A. J. Banner for an ARC to read in exchange for an honest review.
What should have been an exciting dinner party to announce Marissa's engagement, turns sour with everyone selfishly caught up in their own issues and agendas.
The following morning, a member of the dinner party is found dead. Can the police find the killer before they strike again? Who would have the motive to commit murder?
This book just fell short for me. I would catch myself chuckling as the lead characters always managed to conveniently find the clues, then directing the police to them…every-time! 🙄
Occasionally I can go along with that ride. But this was just was a bit too much over-the-top for me.
There are some great reviews out there for this book, so if you’re looking for a quick, light thriller then give this one a try!
A buddy read with Susanne!🌸
Thank you to NetGalley, Lake Union Publishing and A. J. Banner for an ARC to read in exchange for an honest review.
September 5, 2018
I think the more of these so called thrillers I read, the higher the bar is raised. This was a thinky veiled plot,with much repetition, and to be honest often didn't make much sense. Maybe not enough context given for some of the subsequent actions taken by the characters. Although this book was already relatively short in pages, it could have been even shorter without the repetition, and the going over and over the same details, thoughts and actions by the main character. I was not thrilled, nor chilled, in fact I was bored.
A sisters read and all three of us had the same thoughts and reservations.
ARC from Netgalley.
A sisters read and all three of us had the same thoughts and reservations.
ARC from Netgalley.
August 21, 2018
3.25 Stars* (rounded down)
Marissa couldn’t be happier - she has finally found the man of her dreams: Nathan, a single dad to Anna, and an EMT. Kind, caring and loving - he is everything she has been looking for. If only Marissa’s former best friend Lauren didn’t ruin their engagement party by all out flirting with her fiancé, it’s so embarrassing! Especially with Lauren’s husband Jasper watching. Lauren has some nerve! When Marissa and Nathan announce their engagement, Lauren panics, dashing out - yet before she leaves she informs Marissa that she must tell her something important .. about Nathan. Later that night however - and before Lauren has the chance to talk to her former bestie, the unthinkable happens, Lauren’s body surfaces on the cliffs outside her beachfront home. Coincidence? Time will tell.
Marissa is devastated by Lauren’s death as they had neglected to heal the rift that tore their friendship apart years prior. Now Marissa feels that it is her mission to find Lauren’s murderer, with or without the Police Department’s help. Little does Marissa know that honesty is not everyone’s best or favorite policy. Once she finds this out, tension mounts.
“After Nightfall” is a fast-paced, enjoyable read that felt a bit more like a YA novel than an adult mystery / suspense to me. It was however, an entertaining book that kept me engrossed up till the very end.
This was a buddy read with Kaceey!
Thank you to NetGalley, Lake Union Publishing and A.J. Banner for an ARC of this novel in exchange for an honest review.
Published on NetGalley and Goodreads on 8.21.18.
Marissa couldn’t be happier - she has finally found the man of her dreams: Nathan, a single dad to Anna, and an EMT. Kind, caring and loving - he is everything she has been looking for. If only Marissa’s former best friend Lauren didn’t ruin their engagement party by all out flirting with her fiancé, it’s so embarrassing! Especially with Lauren’s husband Jasper watching. Lauren has some nerve! When Marissa and Nathan announce their engagement, Lauren panics, dashing out - yet before she leaves she informs Marissa that she must tell her something important .. about Nathan. Later that night however - and before Lauren has the chance to talk to her former bestie, the unthinkable happens, Lauren’s body surfaces on the cliffs outside her beachfront home. Coincidence? Time will tell.
Marissa is devastated by Lauren’s death as they had neglected to heal the rift that tore their friendship apart years prior. Now Marissa feels that it is her mission to find Lauren’s murderer, with or without the Police Department’s help. Little does Marissa know that honesty is not everyone’s best or favorite policy. Once she finds this out, tension mounts.
“After Nightfall” is a fast-paced, enjoyable read that felt a bit more like a YA novel than an adult mystery / suspense to me. It was however, an entertaining book that kept me engrossed up till the very end.
This was a buddy read with Kaceey!
Thank you to NetGalley, Lake Union Publishing and A.J. Banner for an ARC of this novel in exchange for an honest review.
Published on NetGalley and Goodreads on 8.21.18.
July 19, 2018
I read this in just over a day and found it to be engrossing. It had just enough drama to keep me guessing without getting repetitive or weighed down in details. I really enjoyed how the author threw in so many clues along the way that kept me guessing and wondering what would happen next.
Lauren and Marissa were the best of friends until the sexy Lauren betrayed her in the worst of ways. Marissa does move on though and years later invites Lauren and her husband, Jensen to her engagement party. She can't believe it when Lauren proceeds to flirt with her fiance right under her nose. What is wrong with her? Maybe it is the wine or perhaps "her perfume is poisoning her brain."
I just loved the setting of this neighborhood on the beach with a steep staircase leading to the water. It reminded me of a TV show I binged on called Revenge (which was so good btw). This one has a plot with many layers and perhaps a bit of revenge woven in.
Marissa puts on her detective hat and she starts noticing some things that don't seem right. Nerves flare when she begins to question her fiance about his questionable behavior. A story of obsession and jealously with a surprising conclusion that left me saying but....wait....
If you like to be guessing until the end, this one is sure to entertain. Excellent summer read!
Lauren and Marissa were the best of friends until the sexy Lauren betrayed her in the worst of ways. Marissa does move on though and years later invites Lauren and her husband, Jensen to her engagement party. She can't believe it when Lauren proceeds to flirt with her fiance right under her nose. What is wrong with her? Maybe it is the wine or perhaps "her perfume is poisoning her brain."
I just loved the setting of this neighborhood on the beach with a steep staircase leading to the water. It reminded me of a TV show I binged on called Revenge (which was so good btw). This one has a plot with many layers and perhaps a bit of revenge woven in.
Marissa puts on her detective hat and she starts noticing some things that don't seem right. Nerves flare when she begins to question her fiance about his questionable behavior. A story of obsession and jealously with a surprising conclusion that left me saying but....wait....
If you like to be guessing until the end, this one is sure to entertain. Excellent summer read!
July 15, 2018
I've read all three of Banner's novels to date, but I have to say that After Nightfall is easily my favorite. Her books have that snappy feel of an oversized novella, meaning they are shorter reads that you can blow through in a single sitting, but she gives you all the details you want without weighing down the suspense with too many unnecessary thoughts. Her stories are suspenseful, compulsive, and insert the kind of drama that us Real Housewives fans crave in these types of novels. The blurb gives you a really clear picture of the set up, so I'll stay away from plot descriptions, but doesn't it do a fantastic job of reeling you in?
I think one of the reasons this is my favorite novel by the author is that After Nightfall really focuses on making this a creepy, atmospheric read. There is still the gritty crime aspect, minus the procedural, along with witty dialogue and grandiose reveals, but this atmospheric aspect really was the cherry on top of a fun read. If you're looking for a fast paced, gripping read to take on your beach vacation this year, look no further. If you're new to AJ Banner's novels, this one is perfect to begin with and hook you for her other books as well.
Many thanks to the author for providing a copy for review.
I think one of the reasons this is my favorite novel by the author is that After Nightfall really focuses on making this a creepy, atmospheric read. There is still the gritty crime aspect, minus the procedural, along with witty dialogue and grandiose reveals, but this atmospheric aspect really was the cherry on top of a fun read. If you're looking for a fast paced, gripping read to take on your beach vacation this year, look no further. If you're new to AJ Banner's novels, this one is perfect to begin with and hook you for her other books as well.
Many thanks to the author for providing a copy for review.
August 6, 2018
A super fast paced and entertaining whodunnit!
I seriously read this one in less than 24 hours. The page count is relatively short, the pace is fast, and you will want to know what happened ASAP.
It starts with a dinner party at Nate’s house where you get a bit of a background on the characters, and afterwards one of the guests is found dead. What happened? Was it an accident or a murder? Who knows something? These are all questions you will as yourself over and over as you read this book.
The main character, Marissa, suspects every single character of foul play at some point in the story and you will too. No one is to be trusted!
Definitely an entertaining whodunnit - I didn’t guess the culprit once again! 3.5 stars.
Thank you to Lake Union Publishing for my advance copy. This book is available tomorrow!
I seriously read this one in less than 24 hours. The page count is relatively short, the pace is fast, and you will want to know what happened ASAP.
It starts with a dinner party at Nate’s house where you get a bit of a background on the characters, and afterwards one of the guests is found dead. What happened? Was it an accident or a murder? Who knows something? These are all questions you will as yourself over and over as you read this book.
The main character, Marissa, suspects every single character of foul play at some point in the story and you will too. No one is to be trusted!
Definitely an entertaining whodunnit - I didn’t guess the culprit once again! 3.5 stars.
Thank you to Lake Union Publishing for my advance copy. This book is available tomorrow!
April 15, 2018
Thank you so much to AJ Banner for sending me a copy of After Nightfall. I flew through this in just a day! This doesn’t come out till August but after reading the description I knew I had to get to it first.
Marissa and Lauren use to be besties. They grew up together and went to college together. After a betrayal that tore them apart they stopped talking to each other. Years went by until they spoke again. Lauren and her husband move in their new house which is right next to Marissa’s fiancé. Slowly but surely Marissa is trying to forgive and let Lauren in a little.
Unfortunately, that comes to an end when Marissa finds Lauren’s dead body on the beach! Did Lauren jump? Did someone push her off the cliff? Marissa is suspicious of everyone and is determined to find out what really happened.
I was definitely surprised in the end! I did NOT see that coming and I love when that happens! 4 Stars ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ and I recommend.
Marissa and Lauren use to be besties. They grew up together and went to college together. After a betrayal that tore them apart they stopped talking to each other. Years went by until they spoke again. Lauren and her husband move in their new house which is right next to Marissa’s fiancé. Slowly but surely Marissa is trying to forgive and let Lauren in a little.
Unfortunately, that comes to an end when Marissa finds Lauren’s dead body on the beach! Did Lauren jump? Did someone push her off the cliff? Marissa is suspicious of everyone and is determined to find out what really happened.
I was definitely surprised in the end! I did NOT see that coming and I love when that happens! 4 Stars ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ and I recommend.
August 21, 2018
EXCERPT: I'm close enough now to see. The pile of kelp is not kelp at all, and it's not a clump of clothing. It's a woman in a long black coat. She’s lying on her stomach, her head turned to the side, her legs at a peculiar angle, one bent backward. She’s barefoot. Her dark hair blows across her face.
I rush toward her, kneel next to her. I'm lightheaded, afraid I might faint. I try to shake her, but she doesn't respond. A part of me pulls back, suspended outside my body, watching from a distance. Behind her, a rockslide has left a large pile of debris at the bottom of the cliff. She must have fallen. All the way down. Time slows. The world backtracks. I see her the way she was only yesterday, her magnetic smile, the black sheath dress clinging to her curves. I'm leaning over her now, shouting at her to wake up, say something, but she doesn't move. Her cheek feels cold to the touch. Her lips are blue; her eyes have turned to clouded marble.
ABOUT THIS BOOK: Beware of friends with secrets…
Imagine your closest friend utterly betraying you. Years later, when she seeks forgiveness, you invite her to your engagement party as a gesture of reconciliation. But seething hostilities rise to the surface, ruining everyone’s evening. After an awful night, your friend’s battered, lifeless body is found at the bottom of a rocky cliff.
Newly engaged Marissa Parlette is living this nightmare. She should be celebrating her upcoming wedding, but she can’t shake the image of her friend lying dead on the beach. Did she fall? Was she pushed? Or did she take a purposeful step into darkness? Desperate for answers, Marissa digs deep into the events of the party. But what she remembers happening after nightfall now carries sinister implications: the ugly sniping, the clandestine meetings, the drunken flirtations. The more she investigates, the more she questions everything she thought she knew about her friends, the man she once trusted, and even herself.
MY THOUGHTS: 'Holy Canoly Batman!' What a ride that was!
I had previously read The Good Neighbor by A. J. Banner and really enjoyed it, but she has taken her writing to a whole new level with After Nightfall. These people have history, a very mixed bag of it. There is infidelity, lies and flirtations, jealousies and resentments, a mixed up teenager and an even younger child, the product of a broken home, and death. No wonder Marissa's loyalties are all over the place. No wonder she sometimes doesn't know which way is up. No wonder she doesn't know who to trust.
I didn't always like Marissa, but when I stopped to think about it, had I been in her shoes, I don't know that I would have acted any differently.
At first this seems like a fairly stock standard family drama. But it slowly morphs into something deeper. Nothing is as it seems. The clues all point in different directions. The outcome is surprising. I raced through the second half of this book, unable to put it down until I had turned the final page in the early hours of this morning. I will be a definite starter for her next novel.
😍😍 😍 😍.5
THE AUTHOR: A. J. Banner grew up reading Agatha Christie, Daphne du Maurier, and other masters of love and mystery. She enjoyed sneaking thrillers from her parents' library, which gave her excellent fodder for her first two novels of psychological suspense, The Good Neighbor and The Twilight Wife. The Good Neighbor was a #1 Kindle bestseller for 34 days in a row, and The Twilight Wife became a USA Today and Publishers Weekly bestseller. Born in India and raised in North America, she always dreamed of writing gripping stories in which nothing is what it seems. She's hard at work on her next novel in her home office overlooking a Pacific Northwest forest.
DISCLOSURE: Thank you to Lake Union Publishing via Netgalley for providing a digital ARC of After Nightfall by A. J. Banner for review. All opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own personal opinions.
Please refer to my Goodreads.com profile page or the 'about' page on sandysbookaday.wordpress.com for an explanation of my rating system.
This review and others are also published on my blog sandysbookaday.wordpress.com https://sandysbookaday.wordpress.com/...
I rush toward her, kneel next to her. I'm lightheaded, afraid I might faint. I try to shake her, but she doesn't respond. A part of me pulls back, suspended outside my body, watching from a distance. Behind her, a rockslide has left a large pile of debris at the bottom of the cliff. She must have fallen. All the way down. Time slows. The world backtracks. I see her the way she was only yesterday, her magnetic smile, the black sheath dress clinging to her curves. I'm leaning over her now, shouting at her to wake up, say something, but she doesn't move. Her cheek feels cold to the touch. Her lips are blue; her eyes have turned to clouded marble.
ABOUT THIS BOOK: Beware of friends with secrets…
Imagine your closest friend utterly betraying you. Years later, when she seeks forgiveness, you invite her to your engagement party as a gesture of reconciliation. But seething hostilities rise to the surface, ruining everyone’s evening. After an awful night, your friend’s battered, lifeless body is found at the bottom of a rocky cliff.
Newly engaged Marissa Parlette is living this nightmare. She should be celebrating her upcoming wedding, but she can’t shake the image of her friend lying dead on the beach. Did she fall? Was she pushed? Or did she take a purposeful step into darkness? Desperate for answers, Marissa digs deep into the events of the party. But what she remembers happening after nightfall now carries sinister implications: the ugly sniping, the clandestine meetings, the drunken flirtations. The more she investigates, the more she questions everything she thought she knew about her friends, the man she once trusted, and even herself.
MY THOUGHTS: 'Holy Canoly Batman!' What a ride that was!
I had previously read The Good Neighbor by A. J. Banner and really enjoyed it, but she has taken her writing to a whole new level with After Nightfall. These people have history, a very mixed bag of it. There is infidelity, lies and flirtations, jealousies and resentments, a mixed up teenager and an even younger child, the product of a broken home, and death. No wonder Marissa's loyalties are all over the place. No wonder she sometimes doesn't know which way is up. No wonder she doesn't know who to trust.
I didn't always like Marissa, but when I stopped to think about it, had I been in her shoes, I don't know that I would have acted any differently.
At first this seems like a fairly stock standard family drama. But it slowly morphs into something deeper. Nothing is as it seems. The clues all point in different directions. The outcome is surprising. I raced through the second half of this book, unable to put it down until I had turned the final page in the early hours of this morning. I will be a definite starter for her next novel.
😍😍 😍 😍.5
THE AUTHOR: A. J. Banner grew up reading Agatha Christie, Daphne du Maurier, and other masters of love and mystery. She enjoyed sneaking thrillers from her parents' library, which gave her excellent fodder for her first two novels of psychological suspense, The Good Neighbor and The Twilight Wife. The Good Neighbor was a #1 Kindle bestseller for 34 days in a row, and The Twilight Wife became a USA Today and Publishers Weekly bestseller. Born in India and raised in North America, she always dreamed of writing gripping stories in which nothing is what it seems. She's hard at work on her next novel in her home office overlooking a Pacific Northwest forest.
DISCLOSURE: Thank you to Lake Union Publishing via Netgalley for providing a digital ARC of After Nightfall by A. J. Banner for review. All opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own personal opinions.
Please refer to my Goodreads.com profile page or the 'about' page on sandysbookaday.wordpress.com for an explanation of my rating system.
This review and others are also published on my blog sandysbookaday.wordpress.com https://sandysbookaday.wordpress.com/...
May 22, 2024
كلمتين كده عالسريع.. دردشة يعنى
رواية خفيفة مش قادرة اقول مشوقة اوى لانى بصراحة مكنتش منجذبة ليها ومش مهتمة اوى اعرف مين القاتل او هل هي اصلا جريمة قتل ولا انتحار!؟
كنت حاسة الرواية نايمة شوية ولولا الارق كنت نمت جنبها 😂
الشخصيات مجذبتنيش نهائى، باهتة اوى ..
بس رغم كده كنت شايفة الرواية كويسة ومتوسطة وكان تقييمي ليها ٣ نجوم
بس النهاية بصراحة قفلتني
اولا محبيتش الطريقة اللى ظهرت بيها الأمور كان فيها حاجة مش مظبوطة .
ثانيا سبب شخصي جدا يعنى جملة كده اتقالت هتعدى عادي غالبا على اي حد بس معايا انا كانت مستفزة وشخصية جدا وهي عن سبب تصرف الشخصية دى بالطريقة دي فكانت حاجة قفلتني . وكانت سبب رئيسي انى أنزل تقييمي
ثالثا بأه الفصل الاخير ، ايوه يعنى عايزة ايه ؟ ، حسيت الموضوع داخل كده وخلاص كأن الكاتبة كانت عايزة تكتب عن موضوع العنف الأسري ده ومعرفتش فدخلته كحكاية شخصية من الشخصيات بس كان تقديم ضعيف لموضوع مهم.. وجه آخر كلام في الرواية مالوش اي لازمة كأن الكاتبة اتفاجئت انها خلصت الرواية فقالت تقول كلمتين في الاخر..
نيجي بأه للترجمة ..
في المجمل كانت كويسة معقولة بس كان في لخبطة ساعات في الاسماء والضمائر فكانت محتاجة مراجعة قبل النشر ..
قراءة مشتركة مع الصديقة ريهام الكومي❤ ❤
و صديقتي سارة سمير ❤❤ ومعلش انا عقدتك مني وعملتلك فوبيا 😂😂 بس اعمل ايه حتى الكتب مخاصماني 😭😂
١٤ / ٥ / ٢٠٢٤
رواية خفيفة مش قادرة اقول مشوقة اوى لانى بصراحة مكنتش منجذبة ليها ومش مهتمة اوى اعرف مين القاتل او هل هي اصلا جريمة قتل ولا انتحار!؟
كنت حاسة الرواية نايمة شوية ولولا الارق كنت نمت جنبها 😂
الشخصيات مجذبتنيش نهائى، باهتة اوى ..
بس رغم كده كنت شايفة الرواية كويسة ومتوسطة وكان تقييمي ليها ٣ نجوم
بس النهاية بصراحة قفلتني
اولا محبيتش الطريقة اللى ظهرت بيها الأمور كان فيها حاجة مش مظبوطة .
ثانيا سبب شخصي جدا يعنى جملة كده اتقالت هتعدى عادي غالبا على اي حد بس معايا انا كانت مستفزة وشخصية جدا وهي عن سبب تصرف الشخصية دى بالطريقة دي فكانت حاجة قفلتني . وكانت سبب رئيسي انى أنزل تقييمي
ثالثا بأه الفصل الاخير ، ايوه يعنى عايزة ايه ؟ ، حسيت الموضوع داخل كده وخلاص كأن الكاتبة كانت عايزة تكتب عن موضوع العنف الأسري ده ومعرفتش فدخلته كحكاية شخصية من الشخصيات بس كان تقديم ضعيف لموضوع مهم.. وجه آخر كلام في الرواية مالوش اي لازمة كأن الكاتبة اتفاجئت انها خلصت الرواية فقالت تقول كلمتين في الاخر..
نيجي بأه للترجمة ..
في المجمل كانت كويسة معقولة بس كان في لخبطة ساعات في الاسماء والضمائر فكانت محتاجة مراجعة قبل النشر ..
قراءة مشتركة مع الصديقة ريهام الكومي❤ ❤
و صديقتي سارة سمير ❤❤ ومعلش انا عقدتك مني وعملتلك فوبيا 😂😂 بس اعمل ايه حتى الكتب مخاصماني 😭😂
١٤ / ٥ / ٢٠٢٤
October 26, 2018
I read this one awhile back with my Traveling Sisters and I am finally just writing a review for this one. It's short and maybe not so sweet.
After Nightfall is a fast-paced, quick easy and short read with a little suspense. The dynamics between the characters are messy with some drama to drive the story forward. However, for us twisted sisters we like our thrillers to be a little darker and twister.
Thank you to NetGalley, Lake Union Publishing and A. J. Banner for an ARC to read and review
After Nightfall is a fast-paced, quick easy and short read with a little suspense. The dynamics between the characters are messy with some drama to drive the story forward. However, for us twisted sisters we like our thrillers to be a little darker and twister.
Thank you to NetGalley, Lake Union Publishing and A. J. Banner for an ARC to read and review
August 5, 2018
I had to read this one after reading some rave reviews. I am so glad that I did!
Marissa finds the lifeless body of her old friend on the beach, having seemingly fallen from a cliff. Did she jump? Or was she pushed? Marissa is plagued with guilt and anger over events long ago, and makes it her mission to discover what happened to Lauren. However, the truth gives her more than what she bargained for.
What a stunner of a little novel! It was almost perfect! A fabulously creepy and tense story that gave me goose bumps, and short enough that it didn't drag on AT ALL! Straight to the good stuff! Fantastic!
I LOVED how this was written! It gradually got creepier and creepier and then you were literally at the edge of your seat! I was so annoyed with real world distractions that kept me away from this story! I just wanted to keep reading!
The characters were absolutely awesome, I just loved how they were all intertwined. You didn't know who you could trust. Everyone had secrets and it was done so cleverly!
So many twists and turns! It had me completely guessing right up until the very end and it is rare for me to have no idea and be so surprised! I read way too many psychological thrillers and have become too good at guessing the twists! I love it when I get it wrong!
Would I recommend After Nightfall?
Absolutely! A fantastic psychological thriller that will have you guessing right up until the end! Absolutely fantastic!
Many thanks to the publisher via netgalley for a copy of After Nightfall for me to read and review.
For more reviews check out my
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Marissa finds the lifeless body of her old friend on the beach, having seemingly fallen from a cliff. Did she jump? Or was she pushed? Marissa is plagued with guilt and anger over events long ago, and makes it her mission to discover what happened to Lauren. However, the truth gives her more than what she bargained for.
What a stunner of a little novel! It was almost perfect! A fabulously creepy and tense story that gave me goose bumps, and short enough that it didn't drag on AT ALL! Straight to the good stuff! Fantastic!
I LOVED how this was written! It gradually got creepier and creepier and then you were literally at the edge of your seat! I was so annoyed with real world distractions that kept me away from this story! I just wanted to keep reading!
The characters were absolutely awesome, I just loved how they were all intertwined. You didn't know who you could trust. Everyone had secrets and it was done so cleverly!
So many twists and turns! It had me completely guessing right up until the very end and it is rare for me to have no idea and be so surprised! I read way too many psychological thrillers and have become too good at guessing the twists! I love it when I get it wrong!
Would I recommend After Nightfall?
Absolutely! A fantastic psychological thriller that will have you guessing right up until the end! Absolutely fantastic!
Many thanks to the publisher via netgalley for a copy of After Nightfall for me to read and review.
For more reviews check out my
Blog
June 23, 2024
الرواية مش قادرة احطلها تصنيف
يعني لا تنفع بوليسي ولا نفسي ولا اجتماعي
هي خلطبيطة على بعضها كدا مش مفهوم عايزة ايه
الرواية بدأت زي عادة البوليسي جدا.. تجمع لبعض الاصدقاء وتحصل جريمة قتل وتبدأ الشكوك
فجأة بقت رواية اجتماعي وماريسا وخطيبها ناثان وشكوكها بقى وافكارها الداخلية وعلاقتها بمعارفها واهلها
وبعدين بقت سايكو واكتشفنا ان اغلب الشخصيات مرضى نفسيين وكل واحد عنده ازمته
المهم، في البداية ودخلتها البوليسي كنت متوقعة اربع نجوم كاملين.. بعدها مط في الاحداث بشكل مش طبيعي نزلتها نص كمان وفجأة البطلة بقت هبلة حرفيا عماله تخبط يمين وشمال في الناس كلها بدون ذرة تفكير والمصيبة ان في اشادة جماعية بالذكاء الناقع منها وانها سند عظيم والكل بقى بيحبها وهكذا وهكذا فنزلت نجمة كمان
وبعدين بقى النهااااااااااااااااااااااية
ايه دا النور قطع ليه فجأة.. هي كانت ماشية وبجبر نفسي اشوف آخرة الهبل دا ايه وبعدين الكاتبة اغمى عليها مننا الحقيقة.. ما كملتش
ايوة حضرتك نسيتي تحطي قفلة للرواية كان ناقصها فصلين تلاتة عشان تقدر تقفلها قفلها يعقلها عقلي الغبي مثلا
النهاية ما اقدرش اقول مفتوحة ولا هي مقفولة ولا هي اي حاجة.. بالظبط زي الكتاي المعيوب اللي ناقضة عشرة لو خمستاشر صفحة في الآخر.. مجرد مقطومة
فنزلت لنجمة واحدة وكفاية عليها كدا احنا هننهب
الترجمة مش احسن حاجة خالص كعادة عصير مؤخرا
شكرا صديقتي داليا اللي اتقفلت هي كمان ومش شكرا ليا عشان اختياراتي سوتنا على الجنبين زيادة 😂😎
September 4, 2018
2 boy I didn't care for this one stars
Sometimes a book just irks you. You find it repetitive, dull, and boorish, at times wondering if you are just on thriller overload or if this book was just not appealing to you. After Nightfall falls into the category of a book that I found dull. The story, seemed so improbable and the main character seemed to think everyone was the killer. She called 911 so often that hopefully her phone had that number on speed dial. For me, this tale was certainly disappointing. It was not a bad concept, just one that seemed to provide no real closure. I understand that the author was trying to keep us all in the dark as to the murderer, but the choppiness of the telling hurt the story more than it helped. I know others loved this book, but for me it was just a ride into the scattered and shallow.
Thank you to A.J. Banner, Lake Union Publishing, and NetGalley for a copy of this book.
Thanks also to Diane who read this story along with me. We were of the same mind about this one.
Sometimes a book just irks you. You find it repetitive, dull, and boorish, at times wondering if you are just on thriller overload or if this book was just not appealing to you. After Nightfall falls into the category of a book that I found dull. The story, seemed so improbable and the main character seemed to think everyone was the killer. She called 911 so often that hopefully her phone had that number on speed dial. For me, this tale was certainly disappointing. It was not a bad concept, just one that seemed to provide no real closure. I understand that the author was trying to keep us all in the dark as to the murderer, but the choppiness of the telling hurt the story more than it helped. I know others loved this book, but for me it was just a ride into the scattered and shallow.
Thank you to A.J. Banner, Lake Union Publishing, and NetGalley for a copy of this book.
Thanks also to Diane who read this story along with me. We were of the same mind about this one.
October 7, 2018
Marissa is celebrating her boyfriend Nick’s birthday by having a small dinner at his home. The evening does not go well due to Marissa’s childhood friend Lauren incessantly flirting with all the male guests. Marissa and Lauren’s friendship was recently restored when Lauren moved next door but this night she is acting strangely. The night weighs on the guests including Nick’s sister in law, Hedra, who is withdrawn throughout the evening. Nick’s tween daughter avoids the adults and spends the evening in her room texting. The evening would have been a disaster had Nick not proposed to Marissa at the end of the evening.
The next morning Marissa takes a walk on the beach near Nick’s home and finds one of her overnight guests dead. Everyone who attended the party becomes a suspect in Lauren's eyes and their erratic behaviors are scrutinized. Was this death accidental or something premeditated? As Marissa searches for answers, she begins to suspect everyone, including her fiance.
After Nightfall is an engaging story full of twists and turns. A. J Banner continues to keep me guessing with her well-written thrillers. I look forward to her next book.
The next morning Marissa takes a walk on the beach near Nick’s home and finds one of her overnight guests dead. Everyone who attended the party becomes a suspect in Lauren's eyes and their erratic behaviors are scrutinized. Was this death accidental or something premeditated? As Marissa searches for answers, she begins to suspect everyone, including her fiance.
After Nightfall is an engaging story full of twists and turns. A. J Banner continues to keep me guessing with her well-written thrillers. I look forward to her next book.
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November 9, 2021رواية آسرة ...كلما أكاد أفلتها من يديّ ، تسلب هى النوم من عينيّ...، لم أكن أسعى وراء القبض على القاتل ولكن عن إجابة سؤال يلح عليّ دون هوادة ..هل نحن حقاُ نعرف الآخرين ونستطيع أن نفهم دوافعهم والحقائق التي تنطوي عليها تصرفاتهم ؟
بعد انقضاء ليلة حفلة خطوبة " ماريسا " و" ناثان "والتي كانت تضم صديقتها وزوجها وأخ " ناثان " وزوجته ، في الصباح الباكر تعثر " ماريسا " على صديقتها جثة هامدة على الشاطيء ، ترى من دفعها من حافة الهاوية ام تراها سقطت بإرادتها ؟...
لطالما كان الزوج هو المشتبه به الأول في جرائم قتل الزوجة ، ولكن هنا الكاتبة تتحدى تلك القاعدة ، رسمت الشخصيات بوجوه تمنحك انطباعاً قوياً بأنها أقنعة تخفي وراءها الحقيقة...
تمتد اصابعك لكي تنتزعها ..تمزقها...فهناك هاجس غامض يراودك بشأنهم جميعاً....
حتى بعدما تم الكشف عن هوية القاتل إلا أن الشك مازال يراوغك ...وكلما تزوغ..ينقض عليك...
عن طوق الثقة الذي إذا ما تحطم يستحيل استعادته ، عن غصة الخيانة التي لا تستطيع أن تستسيغ مرارتها مهما انقضى عليها الزمن ،و الارتياب في من تحب ليس إلا لأنه يمنحك الفرصة لذلك بتصرفاته المربكة والمراوغة....
وأخيراً عن الشك حتى في ذاتك فأنت لا تدري ماذا كان هناك حقاً بعد حلول الظلام..؟!!
بعد انقضاء ليلة حفلة خطوبة " ماريسا " و" ناثان "والتي كانت تضم صديقتها وزوجها وأخ " ناثان " وزوجته ، في الصباح الباكر تعثر " ماريسا " على صديقتها جثة هامدة على الشاطيء ، ترى من دفعها من حافة الهاوية ام تراها سقطت بإرادتها ؟...
لطالما كان الزوج هو المشتبه به الأول في جرائم قتل الزوجة ، ولكن هنا الكاتبة تتحدى تلك القاعدة ، رسمت الشخصيات بوجوه تمنحك انطباعاً قوياً بأنها أقنعة تخفي وراءها الحقيقة...
تمتد اصابعك لكي تنتزعها ..تمزقها...فهناك هاجس غامض يراودك بشأنهم جميعاً....
حتى بعدما تم الكشف عن هوية القاتل إلا أن الشك مازال يراوغك ...وكلما تزوغ..ينقض عليك...
عن طوق الثقة الذي إذا ما تحطم يستحيل استعادته ، عن غصة الخيانة التي لا تستطيع أن تستسيغ مرارتها مهما انقضى عليها الزمن ،و الارتياب في من تحب ليس إلا لأنه يمنحك الفرصة لذلك بتصرفاته المربكة والمراوغة....
وأخيراً عن الشك حتى في ذاتك فأنت لا تدري ماذا كان هناك حقاً بعد حلول الظلام..؟!!
August 8, 2018
It’s the night of Marissa’s engagement party.
In attendance will be her fiancée, Nathan and his daughter Anna. Nathan’s brother Keith and his wife, Hedra. And, their neighbors, her childhood best friend, Lauren and her husband, Jenson.
It should be an evening of celebration and new beginnings.
But Anna seems upset by the announcement. Keith and Hedra are quarreling. And, Lauren is drinking too much wine and unapologetically flirting with Nathan, right in front of Marissa and Jenson.
Lauren has to leave unexpectedly-her daughter needs to be picked up from a party. As Marissa follows her out the door, she confronts her about the flirting. Lauren blames it on the wine, but asks if the two of them can speak privately the next day. “It’s important. “ Lauren says urgently..””It’s about Nathan.”
They never get to have that conversation as Marissa discovers Lauren’s body on the beach the next morning instead.
It seems that everyone was hiding a secret.
And, everyone had wandered outside late that night, after the party had ended.
Was Lauren’s death an accident, a suicide or a murder?
Marissa cannot help but play “amateur detective” and neither will you...
This was my first book by A.J. Banner but I am looking forward to reading her two previous books, as I found this to be a quick, entertaining story!
DOMESTIC SUSPENSE available now!!
In attendance will be her fiancée, Nathan and his daughter Anna. Nathan’s brother Keith and his wife, Hedra. And, their neighbors, her childhood best friend, Lauren and her husband, Jenson.
It should be an evening of celebration and new beginnings.
But Anna seems upset by the announcement. Keith and Hedra are quarreling. And, Lauren is drinking too much wine and unapologetically flirting with Nathan, right in front of Marissa and Jenson.
Lauren has to leave unexpectedly-her daughter needs to be picked up from a party. As Marissa follows her out the door, she confronts her about the flirting. Lauren blames it on the wine, but asks if the two of them can speak privately the next day. “It’s important. “ Lauren says urgently..””It’s about Nathan.”
They never get to have that conversation as Marissa discovers Lauren’s body on the beach the next morning instead.
It seems that everyone was hiding a secret.
And, everyone had wandered outside late that night, after the party had ended.
Was Lauren’s death an accident, a suicide or a murder?
Marissa cannot help but play “amateur detective” and neither will you...
This was my first book by A.J. Banner but I am looking forward to reading her two previous books, as I found this to be a quick, entertaining story!
DOMESTIC SUSPENSE available now!!
July 16, 2018
After Nightfall is a very quick and easy read!
A.J Banner does an excellent job with casting doubt on all of her characters. I was questioning everyone in this book! Surprisingly with my detective skills, I didn't guess the murderer until the end! Yay to that :).
How well do you know the people that are closest to you? How well do you really think you know your best friends? Would you be able to feel something if one of your closest friends was hiding something? Yikes... this is always the worst feeling... your gut going off!
This is a nice thriller that A.J has set up with having doubt on your best friends... I feel like we have all been there at some point in our lives.
After Nightfall is nothing that was extremely unique in my opinion but it kept me entertained over my Saturday night! :)
This is a suspenseful thriller that isn't over the top with twists and turns... but I would categorize more as a light thriller. This is a new author for me but I definitely will be checking out more from Banner!
3 nightfall stars for me.
Thank you to Netgalley and Lake Union Publishing for the opportunity to read this in exchange for my honest thoughts.
Published to GR: 7/15/18
Publication date: 8/7/18
A.J Banner does an excellent job with casting doubt on all of her characters. I was questioning everyone in this book! Surprisingly with my detective skills, I didn't guess the murderer until the end! Yay to that :).
How well do you know the people that are closest to you? How well do you really think you know your best friends? Would you be able to feel something if one of your closest friends was hiding something? Yikes... this is always the worst feeling... your gut going off!
This is a nice thriller that A.J has set up with having doubt on your best friends... I feel like we have all been there at some point in our lives.
After Nightfall is nothing that was extremely unique in my opinion but it kept me entertained over my Saturday night! :)
This is a suspenseful thriller that isn't over the top with twists and turns... but I would categorize more as a light thriller. This is a new author for me but I definitely will be checking out more from Banner!
3 nightfall stars for me.
Thank you to Netgalley and Lake Union Publishing for the opportunity to read this in exchange for my honest thoughts.
Published to GR: 7/15/18
Publication date: 8/7/18
August 10, 2018
Favorite Quote:
There is something timeless and otherworldly about birds, the surviving descendants of dinosaurs. Evidence of past eons. I could take comfort in knowing that, millions of years from now, our lives will amount to nothing but a cosmic hiccup.
My Review:
Once I picked up this addictive book I resented any intrusion or interruption and could not willingly put my Kindle down. It was stellar! This was my first experience reading this gifted author and I greedily want all her words, she has to be an evil genius as her storylines were brilliantly crafted, cunningly paced, and kept me gripping my Kindle and wishing I could read faster yet also wanting to savor each an every well-chosen word. The writing was transportive and the characters were all compellingly suspect and oddly out of pocket while absolutely no one appeared totally trustworthy, the narrator included. The plot was unique and compelling while the writing was divinely enthralling and dripping with intrigue. I remained riveted and transfixed to the Kindle throughout as the narrative was densely packed with twists, turns, and miscues. I devised and cast off numerous theories but would never have guessed the conclusion. Gasp, it was marvelous.
There is something timeless and otherworldly about birds, the surviving descendants of dinosaurs. Evidence of past eons. I could take comfort in knowing that, millions of years from now, our lives will amount to nothing but a cosmic hiccup.
My Review:
Once I picked up this addictive book I resented any intrusion or interruption and could not willingly put my Kindle down. It was stellar! This was my first experience reading this gifted author and I greedily want all her words, she has to be an evil genius as her storylines were brilliantly crafted, cunningly paced, and kept me gripping my Kindle and wishing I could read faster yet also wanting to savor each an every well-chosen word. The writing was transportive and the characters were all compellingly suspect and oddly out of pocket while absolutely no one appeared totally trustworthy, the narrator included. The plot was unique and compelling while the writing was divinely enthralling and dripping with intrigue. I remained riveted and transfixed to the Kindle throughout as the narrative was densely packed with twists, turns, and miscues. I devised and cast off numerous theories but would never have guessed the conclusion. Gasp, it was marvelous.
May 28, 2018
4.5/5
I’ve read and enjoyed all three of Banner’s books but I have to say, After Nightfall is my favorite to date. It’s the perfect summer mystery, it’s not too heavy and is on the shorter side making a quick read that you could devour poolside, yet it does have enough darkness and depth to give it some bite making it the ideal vacation read and yet another book I’m recommending you add to your summer TBR.
I mentioned before that it’s on the shorter side which means Banner wastes no time with filler and you get right to the heart of the story almost immediately. Stories of female friendship with a dark edge always intrigue me and the relationship between Marissa and Lauren seems at surface level ordinary enough. But it’s quickly apparent that there is a tense, awkwardness bubbling underneath the surface that had me hooked.
That’s as far as I’ll go in terms of the plot, but I was surprised by how many surprises there were in this one. It’s a straightforward enough story told solely from Marissa’s point of view, no detectives perspective muddling things up, just a regular woman on the hunt for answers about her frenemies death. Besides the fun twists along the way to keep me engaged it also had an well executed turn in the end, I absolutely loved how things worked out and was so satisfied.
After Nightfall in three words: Compulsive, Astonishing and Suspenseful.
I’ve read and enjoyed all three of Banner’s books but I have to say, After Nightfall is my favorite to date. It’s the perfect summer mystery, it’s not too heavy and is on the shorter side making a quick read that you could devour poolside, yet it does have enough darkness and depth to give it some bite making it the ideal vacation read and yet another book I’m recommending you add to your summer TBR.
I mentioned before that it’s on the shorter side which means Banner wastes no time with filler and you get right to the heart of the story almost immediately. Stories of female friendship with a dark edge always intrigue me and the relationship between Marissa and Lauren seems at surface level ordinary enough. But it’s quickly apparent that there is a tense, awkwardness bubbling underneath the surface that had me hooked.
That’s as far as I’ll go in terms of the plot, but I was surprised by how many surprises there were in this one. It’s a straightforward enough story told solely from Marissa’s point of view, no detectives perspective muddling things up, just a regular woman on the hunt for answers about her frenemies death. Besides the fun twists along the way to keep me engaged it also had an well executed turn in the end, I absolutely loved how things worked out and was so satisfied.
After Nightfall in three words: Compulsive, Astonishing and Suspenseful.
February 13, 2018
4/5 Stars
Marissa Parlette is celebrating her engagement with her fiancé when she decides to invite the friend that had utterly betrayed her many years ago as a gesture of reconciliation. But only to find her battered, lifeless body found at the bottom of a rocky cliff after an awful night. Questions start arising, desperate to find answers Marissa digs deep into the events of the party and her love ones.
This book was full of suspense, murder, secrets, betrayal and very well written.
The characters were pretty dislikeable. I only liked two characters including the protagonist.
Whoa, the reveal was very well done, did not suspect it at all.
I have mixed feelings on the ending. It was quite abrupt and I liked that but at the same time I wanted closure, the ending was left with questions.
The cover was beautiful!!! Very eye-catching, I loved it!
Overall, I enjoyed this book and couldn’t put it down!! This is my first time reading anything from this author and I wouldn’t be surprised if I end up reading her other books in the near future.
Thank you Netgalley and Lake Union Publishing for sending me an advance copy in exchange for an honest review.
Marissa Parlette is celebrating her engagement with her fiancé when she decides to invite the friend that had utterly betrayed her many years ago as a gesture of reconciliation. But only to find her battered, lifeless body found at the bottom of a rocky cliff after an awful night. Questions start arising, desperate to find answers Marissa digs deep into the events of the party and her love ones.
This book was full of suspense, murder, secrets, betrayal and very well written.
The characters were pretty dislikeable. I only liked two characters including the protagonist.
Whoa, the reveal was very well done, did not suspect it at all.
I have mixed feelings on the ending. It was quite abrupt and I liked that but at the same time I wanted closure, the ending was left with questions.
The cover was beautiful!!! Very eye-catching, I loved it!
Overall, I enjoyed this book and couldn’t put it down!! This is my first time reading anything from this author and I wouldn’t be surprised if I end up reading her other books in the near future.
Thank you Netgalley and Lake Union Publishing for sending me an advance copy in exchange for an honest review.
July 14, 2018
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for a free, electronic ARC of this novel in exchange for an honest review!
Marissa has just gotten engaged to Nathan, and to celebrate, she hosts a dinner party hoping that it would hold a dual purpose- she can reconcile her relationships with her oldest friend, Lauren. However, as the night wears on and tensions mount, the night goes from bad to worse when Lauren’s body is found on the beach, battered and broken after an apparent fall of a rocky cliff. As the police investigate Marissa, too, is left questioning everything and everyone. Did Lauren jump or was she pushed? Why were her brother-in-law and sister-in-law so secretive at the party? Why does her fiancé keep sneaking out in the middle of the night without telling her? What secrets are they keeping and are any of them murderous ones?
A.J Banner returns with her new novel, “After Nightfall”, a gripping suspense-fueled thriller with lots of twists and turns.
I have read nothing but “woman mysteriously ends up dead and everyone is suspected” books as of late, and I am wondering now if a new genre is forming. However, Banner’s novel stands up to the rest. Her characters are well-developed and her plot is strong and addictive. Fans of her previous novels will, indeed, not be disappointed.
“After Nightfall” had me engaged from the first page, and it is one of the novels that will legitimately have you saying aloud “just one more chapter”. Thoroughly riveting, Banner tells a daunting tale of lost friendships, relationships doubts, murder and suspicion. This novel has everything!
The ending was slightly predictable for me (probably because my brain has been over saturated with who-dunnit’s lately) but it was still satisfying. I liked some characters and disliked other ones (as is the way with novels like these), and I was left with feelings of justice and empathy at the novel’s end.
Highly recommended for fans of Banner’s, or for fans of the “who-dunnit” genre, “After Nightfall” will keep you entertained!
Marissa has just gotten engaged to Nathan, and to celebrate, she hosts a dinner party hoping that it would hold a dual purpose- she can reconcile her relationships with her oldest friend, Lauren. However, as the night wears on and tensions mount, the night goes from bad to worse when Lauren’s body is found on the beach, battered and broken after an apparent fall of a rocky cliff. As the police investigate Marissa, too, is left questioning everything and everyone. Did Lauren jump or was she pushed? Why were her brother-in-law and sister-in-law so secretive at the party? Why does her fiancé keep sneaking out in the middle of the night without telling her? What secrets are they keeping and are any of them murderous ones?
A.J Banner returns with her new novel, “After Nightfall”, a gripping suspense-fueled thriller with lots of twists and turns.
I have read nothing but “woman mysteriously ends up dead and everyone is suspected” books as of late, and I am wondering now if a new genre is forming. However, Banner’s novel stands up to the rest. Her characters are well-developed and her plot is strong and addictive. Fans of her previous novels will, indeed, not be disappointed.
“After Nightfall” had me engaged from the first page, and it is one of the novels that will legitimately have you saying aloud “just one more chapter”. Thoroughly riveting, Banner tells a daunting tale of lost friendships, relationships doubts, murder and suspicion. This novel has everything!
The ending was slightly predictable for me (probably because my brain has been over saturated with who-dunnit’s lately) but it was still satisfying. I liked some characters and disliked other ones (as is the way with novels like these), and I was left with feelings of justice and empathy at the novel’s end.
Highly recommended for fans of Banner’s, or for fans of the “who-dunnit” genre, “After Nightfall” will keep you entertained!
October 16, 2019
Bestselling author, A.J. Banner returns following The Twilight Wife with her best yet—AFTER NIGHTFALL. 5 Stars ++ Top Books of 2018. Banner carefully conceals hidden motives and secrets to the startling conclusion. A well-written taut page-turning “whodunit”—hooks you from the first page and never lets up.
An utterly mesmerizing twisty tale. Where everyone is a suspect— in this chilling and atmospheric psychological thriller. Banner masterfully showcases her creative talent for a brilliantly plotted, character-driven, intense, and utterly addictive must summer read.
Set in the idyllic and peaceful Pacific Northwest, the book begins with Marissa (the nervous hostess) a speech-language pathologist —at the home of her fiancé, Nathan Black. A stunning clifftop house in Tranquil Cove, an upscale community on Washington’s Olympic Peninsula. A sleepy town of ten thousand residents, west of Seattle on the shores of Enchanted Bay.
The dinner party was to celebrate Nathan’s fortieth birthday and to announce their engagement and upcoming wedding in May.
Attendees:
Lauren and Jensen. They live next door to Nathan. Lauren and Marissa are old friends from childhood. However, something happened years ago, and Marissa is slowly allowing the voluptuous and manipulative old friend, Lauren back into her life. Can she trust her? Why did they buy the house next door to Nathan?
Lauren is drinking plenty of red wine and openly flirting with Nathan in front of her. FYI (Marissa and Jensen have a past). Lauren has no problem seducing men. Marissa wishes she had not invited her.
They were formerly best buddies, before college sharing hopes and dreams. Exactly when did their friendship crack apart? During college, they went their separate ways until the previous year when she got a job at the hospital.
Anna: Nathan’s daughter with his ex-wife Rianne. Anna has some stuttering problems, and Marissa is her therapist. This is how Marissa and Nathan met. Is she happy Nathan is getting married again or does she secretly want her parents to reunite? She continues to text her mom.
Uncle Keith and Aunt Hedra: Nathan’s brother (doctor) and his wife. Nathan and Keith do not get along. Strange vibes are going on between Nathan, Keith, and Hedra. Keith has a dark side (creepy). Mysterious.
Then at the dinner party, abruptly Lauren receives a text and is anxious to leave. She says from her daughter. Marissa confronts her about the falling all over Nathan. She says, “I need to talk to you.” However, Lauren needs to get back to the party, and Lauren says, “Tomorrow. It’s important. You want to hear this. It’s about Nathan.”
Then she is off. However, there is NO tomorrow.
Keith and Hedra stay overnight along with Anna. Nathan disappears in the middle of the night. Marissa took a sleeping pill.
The next morning, Marissa discovers Lauren’s body at the bottom of a cliff. Did she fall or was she pushed? Murder? Did she walk to the edge of the cliff and take a deliberate step into darkness? Or did she have too much to drink and slip?
What did Lauren’s message the previous night mean?
Despite Lauren’s behavior at dinner and the dark turn of their friendship, Marissa wants to find out the murderer. She is driving herself crazy. Detective Dan Harding is assigned to the case.
There was an umbrella. A scarf. All this seemed strange to Marissa since her old friend was terrified of heights and never wore scarves. The cops question everyone. Nathan and Lauren must protect Anna from the news, internet, violence, and death. She is fragile, and she may stop talking again. It is important for Marissa to learn what happened. The murderer is still out there, and it could be someone close.
With a cast of intriguing characters, including Arthur Nguyen, a sixty-something, divorced, family-law attorney. His wife left him, and he consoles himself by walking his terrier, Bert and pretends to fish in the pond in his backyard. He was unable to come to the dinner party. What did he see?
Also, Nathan seems very protective of Rianne (owner of a boutique consignment shop with some mental health issues) —Anna’s mother. Anna starts acting weird and disappears, and then Marissa suspects something between Nathan and Hedra. What is Anna afraid of and what is she hiding?
In the midst of all of this, Marissa is playing sleuth to get to the bottom of the mystery. Who murdered her former friend, Lauren and what was it she was going to tell her? She does not know whom to trust. Then the dress.
With a foreboding feeling of unease and darkness lurking, everyone is acting strangely. Who has a motive? Is there something more sinister at play? How do the dots connect all these players? Is Nathan the man she thought he was? What about Anna? Can people be both good and bad?
You must read this compelling mystery to discover the answers!
Banner does a masterful job of layering the mysteries in this fast-paced and unnerving suspense. An electrifying and addictive tale. The talented author has outdone herself. OMG, I stayed up two nights in the row to 3 am, hating to put it down and could not wait to get back to it. I was hooked. Loved it!
At 90% was dying. Banner knows how to build suspense and hold you there. There was never a lull in the pace. Often domestic suspense drags. Not the case here. There is non-stop action with multiple twists and turns and red herrings. A true talent of thriller writing. Movie-worthy. It will be fun choosing the cast.
The atmospheric setting, cliffside, the rain. You could almost hear, see, and smell. The attention to detail draws you in as you frantically turn the pages to see what is coming around the corner.
AFTER NIGHTFALL weaves an engrossing mystery —with richly developed characters in complex relationships, for an entertaining and compelling read.
All I could think about was another Big Little Lies and a TV series. Big screen or small screen, the setting, the characters, and the plot are prime time. From the beautiful front cover to each— and every page – a WINNER! (You must purchase the hardcopy. The embossing is luxurious). It is a coffee table book to showcase, not one to hide on a bookshelf.
Highly Recommend! Looking forward to seeing what is next.
A special thank you to the author, #NetGalley, and LakeUnion for an advanced reading copy.
JDCMustReadBooks
An utterly mesmerizing twisty tale. Where everyone is a suspect— in this chilling and atmospheric psychological thriller. Banner masterfully showcases her creative talent for a brilliantly plotted, character-driven, intense, and utterly addictive must summer read.
Set in the idyllic and peaceful Pacific Northwest, the book begins with Marissa (the nervous hostess) a speech-language pathologist —at the home of her fiancé, Nathan Black. A stunning clifftop house in Tranquil Cove, an upscale community on Washington’s Olympic Peninsula. A sleepy town of ten thousand residents, west of Seattle on the shores of Enchanted Bay.
The dinner party was to celebrate Nathan’s fortieth birthday and to announce their engagement and upcoming wedding in May.
Attendees:
Lauren and Jensen. They live next door to Nathan. Lauren and Marissa are old friends from childhood. However, something happened years ago, and Marissa is slowly allowing the voluptuous and manipulative old friend, Lauren back into her life. Can she trust her? Why did they buy the house next door to Nathan?
Lauren is drinking plenty of red wine and openly flirting with Nathan in front of her. FYI (Marissa and Jensen have a past). Lauren has no problem seducing men. Marissa wishes she had not invited her.
They were formerly best buddies, before college sharing hopes and dreams. Exactly when did their friendship crack apart? During college, they went their separate ways until the previous year when she got a job at the hospital.
Anna: Nathan’s daughter with his ex-wife Rianne. Anna has some stuttering problems, and Marissa is her therapist. This is how Marissa and Nathan met. Is she happy Nathan is getting married again or does she secretly want her parents to reunite? She continues to text her mom.
Uncle Keith and Aunt Hedra: Nathan’s brother (doctor) and his wife. Nathan and Keith do not get along. Strange vibes are going on between Nathan, Keith, and Hedra. Keith has a dark side (creepy). Mysterious.
Then at the dinner party, abruptly Lauren receives a text and is anxious to leave. She says from her daughter. Marissa confronts her about the falling all over Nathan. She says, “I need to talk to you.” However, Lauren needs to get back to the party, and Lauren says, “Tomorrow. It’s important. You want to hear this. It’s about Nathan.”
Then she is off. However, there is NO tomorrow.
Keith and Hedra stay overnight along with Anna. Nathan disappears in the middle of the night. Marissa took a sleeping pill.
The next morning, Marissa discovers Lauren’s body at the bottom of a cliff. Did she fall or was she pushed? Murder? Did she walk to the edge of the cliff and take a deliberate step into darkness? Or did she have too much to drink and slip?
What did Lauren’s message the previous night mean?
Despite Lauren’s behavior at dinner and the dark turn of their friendship, Marissa wants to find out the murderer. She is driving herself crazy. Detective Dan Harding is assigned to the case.
There was an umbrella. A scarf. All this seemed strange to Marissa since her old friend was terrified of heights and never wore scarves. The cops question everyone. Nathan and Lauren must protect Anna from the news, internet, violence, and death. She is fragile, and she may stop talking again. It is important for Marissa to learn what happened. The murderer is still out there, and it could be someone close.
With a cast of intriguing characters, including Arthur Nguyen, a sixty-something, divorced, family-law attorney. His wife left him, and he consoles himself by walking his terrier, Bert and pretends to fish in the pond in his backyard. He was unable to come to the dinner party. What did he see?
Also, Nathan seems very protective of Rianne (owner of a boutique consignment shop with some mental health issues) —Anna’s mother. Anna starts acting weird and disappears, and then Marissa suspects something between Nathan and Hedra. What is Anna afraid of and what is she hiding?
In the midst of all of this, Marissa is playing sleuth to get to the bottom of the mystery. Who murdered her former friend, Lauren and what was it she was going to tell her? She does not know whom to trust. Then the dress.
With a foreboding feeling of unease and darkness lurking, everyone is acting strangely. Who has a motive? Is there something more sinister at play? How do the dots connect all these players? Is Nathan the man she thought he was? What about Anna? Can people be both good and bad?
You must read this compelling mystery to discover the answers!
Banner does a masterful job of layering the mysteries in this fast-paced and unnerving suspense. An electrifying and addictive tale. The talented author has outdone herself. OMG, I stayed up two nights in the row to 3 am, hating to put it down and could not wait to get back to it. I was hooked. Loved it!
At 90% was dying. Banner knows how to build suspense and hold you there. There was never a lull in the pace. Often domestic suspense drags. Not the case here. There is non-stop action with multiple twists and turns and red herrings. A true talent of thriller writing. Movie-worthy. It will be fun choosing the cast.
The atmospheric setting, cliffside, the rain. You could almost hear, see, and smell. The attention to detail draws you in as you frantically turn the pages to see what is coming around the corner.
AFTER NIGHTFALL weaves an engrossing mystery —with richly developed characters in complex relationships, for an entertaining and compelling read.
All I could think about was another Big Little Lies and a TV series. Big screen or small screen, the setting, the characters, and the plot are prime time. From the beautiful front cover to each— and every page – a WINNER! (You must purchase the hardcopy. The embossing is luxurious). It is a coffee table book to showcase, not one to hide on a bookshelf.
Highly Recommend! Looking forward to seeing what is next.
A special thank you to the author, #NetGalley, and LakeUnion for an advanced reading copy.
JDCMustReadBooks
November 6, 2018
Marissa Parlette is newly engaged to Nathan, an EMT, and working on integrating herself into his life and that of his young daughter, Anna. She is also trying to slowly reconcile with Nathan's neighbor, Lauren, who also happens to be Marissa's childhood best friend. The two parted ways after an incident in college. But then--after a dinner party at Nathan's to celebrate his birthday--Marissa awakens early and finds Lauren's battered body at the bottom of the cliff behind her house. What happened to Lauren? Did she jump? Fall? Or was she pushed? Marissa starts to investigate what happened, but soon finds she can't trust anything or anyone, including her own fiance.
This was my second A.J. Banner book, and it was a bit of a strange one. I didn't enjoy it as much as The Twilight Wife, but it is definitely a quick and interesting read. I flew through the pages, as Bannon is extremely good at casting suspicion on everyone in the novel. It becomes apparent quickly that Lauren's death wasn't an accident, so you start trying to guess who did it, and while everyone seems a suspect, I had difficultly figuring out "whodunnit," which was fun.
Not so fun was the fact that Marissa, our main character, drove me a bit crazy. I understand that she would be upset by the death of her former best friend, but she became utterly obsessed, investigating in a strange tunnel vision sort of way that seemed almost deranged. Yet, it seemed like she was clueless in some ways, unable to grasp some facts that were pretty easy for the rest of us to figure out. She was also rather self-centered, insecure, and whiny, and I had a tough time rooting for her. I really didn't enjoy any of the characters, honestly, beside Nathan's daughter, Anna. (Poor kid; she didn't deserve having to live with any of those people.)
Overall, I enjoyed the page-turner aspect of this one, and the fact I was constantly kept guessing. The characters and their weird motivations? Eh. Not so much. Still, this was a quick, easy read. 3 stars.
I received a copy of this novel from the publisher and Netgalley in return for an unbiased review (thank you!).
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This was my second A.J. Banner book, and it was a bit of a strange one. I didn't enjoy it as much as The Twilight Wife, but it is definitely a quick and interesting read. I flew through the pages, as Bannon is extremely good at casting suspicion on everyone in the novel. It becomes apparent quickly that Lauren's death wasn't an accident, so you start trying to guess who did it, and while everyone seems a suspect, I had difficultly figuring out "whodunnit," which was fun.
Not so fun was the fact that Marissa, our main character, drove me a bit crazy. I understand that she would be upset by the death of her former best friend, but she became utterly obsessed, investigating in a strange tunnel vision sort of way that seemed almost deranged. Yet, it seemed like she was clueless in some ways, unable to grasp some facts that were pretty easy for the rest of us to figure out. She was also rather self-centered, insecure, and whiny, and I had a tough time rooting for her. I really didn't enjoy any of the characters, honestly, beside Nathan's daughter, Anna. (Poor kid; she didn't deserve having to live with any of those people.)
Overall, I enjoyed the page-turner aspect of this one, and the fact I was constantly kept guessing. The characters and their weird motivations? Eh. Not so much. Still, this was a quick, easy read. 3 stars.
I received a copy of this novel from the publisher and Netgalley in return for an unbiased review (thank you!).
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December 23, 2021
رواية غريبة ... خلتني أشك في كل واحد فيها من أكبرهم لأصغرهم حقيقي ... وكل ما أمسك طرف خيط يتعقد وأحس إن لأ لسة فيه كلام تاني
الكاتبة بتكتب روايات بوليسية نفسية ... الشخصيات هنا كلها حقيقي كلها معقدة بس أسخفهم هيدرا وأقلهم اقناعا رايان وناثان اللي عامل زي عبيط القرية وأغلب تصرفاته خرقاء ومسببة للشك
😅🙈
أي نجمة منقوصة هنا سببها الرواية نفسها ... يعني مثلا الرواية فيها كمية أسماء نباتات وأشجار وطيور مالهاش أي لازمة وقفيلة
العلاقة المثلية بين برين وكارينا كانت برضو محشورة حشر معرفش ليه
الترجمة كويسة جدا بس كان فيه تكرار أسماء أحيانا او يبقى المتحدث ناثان ويتكتب جنسن أو ألاقي أبي ووالدي ورا بعض وكأنه نسي يشطب واحدة من الاتنين ... وطبعا مشاكل في خبر كان 😃
ماريسا دي أكتر واحدة حظها شنيع في العالم حقيقي ... أي واحدة مكانها كانت هتتجنن أكيد
بس الرواية
page turner
مش هنكر بس مش هحتفظ بيها 🤷
الكاتبة بتكتب روايات بوليسية نفسية ... الشخصيات هنا كلها حقيقي كلها معقدة بس أسخفهم هيدرا وأقلهم اقناعا رايان وناثان اللي عامل زي عبيط القرية وأغلب تصرفاته خرقاء ومسببة للشك
😅🙈
أي نجمة منقوصة هنا سببها الرواية نفسها ... يعني مثلا الرواية فيها كمية أسماء نباتات وأشجار وطيور مالهاش أي لازمة وقفيلة
العلاقة المثلية بين برين وكارينا كانت برضو محشورة حشر معرفش ليه
الترجمة كويسة جدا بس كان فيه تكرار أسماء أحيانا او يبقى المتحدث ناثان ويتكتب جنسن أو ألاقي أبي ووالدي ورا بعض وكأنه نسي يشطب واحدة من الاتنين ... وطبعا مشاكل في خبر كان 😃
ماريسا دي أكتر واحدة حظها شنيع في العالم حقيقي ... أي واحدة مكانها كانت هتتجنن أكيد
بس الرواية
page turner
مش هنكر بس مش هحتفظ بيها 🤷
August 2, 2018
After Nightfall had me hooked from the very beginning! It was quick read that had me wanting to turn pages to find out what happened next. And I did not pick where the story was going which makes it even better - love it when I am surprised.
Marissa and Lauren were childhood best friends - until Lauren betrayed her. Now they are starting to mend their friendship. And then Marissa finds Lauren dead on the beach the morning after a dinner party and she needs to know why. It is assumed that it was suicide but Marissa is not convinced. This story goes in so many directions and twists so many times. In her quest to find her friends killer her life begins to unravel - is there anybody in her life that she can trust? A great book that I highly recommend.
Thanks to Lake Union Publishing and Netgalley for my advanced copy of this book to read. All opinions are my own and are in no way biased.
Marissa and Lauren were childhood best friends - until Lauren betrayed her. Now they are starting to mend their friendship. And then Marissa finds Lauren dead on the beach the morning after a dinner party and she needs to know why. It is assumed that it was suicide but Marissa is not convinced. This story goes in so many directions and twists so many times. In her quest to find her friends killer her life begins to unravel - is there anybody in her life that she can trust? A great book that I highly recommend.
Thanks to Lake Union Publishing and Netgalley for my advanced copy of this book to read. All opinions are my own and are in no way biased.
December 28, 2022
الشخصيات باهتة جدًا ، رواية فيها تقريبا ٨ او ٩ شخصيات ولا واحدة حستها كاملة !!
ولا شخصية حسيت بألفة تجاهها أو حسيت انها فريدة أو عرفت عنها تفاصيل تخليني اكرهها حتى!!
الحوار بين الشخصيات ضعيف جدا ، كل اللي خلاني مكملة قراءة ليها علشان اعرف مين اللي قتل وايه الغموض الكتير اوي ده..
غموض كتير لازم قصاده عالأقل اعرف الشخصيات مش معلومة عابرة كدا عن كل شخصية من وقت للتاني..
محبتهاش
ولا شخصية حسيت بألفة تجاهها أو حسيت انها فريدة أو عرفت عنها تفاصيل تخليني اكرهها حتى!!
الحوار بين الشخصيات ضعيف جدا ، كل اللي خلاني مكملة قراءة ليها علشان اعرف مين اللي قتل وايه الغموض الكتير اوي ده..
غموض كتير لازم قصاده عالأقل اعرف الشخصيات مش معلومة عابرة كدا عن كل شخصية من وقت للتاني..
محبتهاش
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